A much-loved member of the beauty community has died, and the industry is coming together to help raise money for her surviving loved ones.

Catherine “Kit” Lai, 37, died suddenly from cardiac arrest earlier this month. Her unborn child passed as well. Kit, who served as Vice President of Global Communications & Digital for the L’Oréal prestige fragrance house, Atelier Cologne, is survived by her husband, John (JD) Darcy, and her son Dashiell, age two, as well as her parents and her brother Brendan.

A private memorial service was held on Monday, July 10, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The beauty industry has rallied around the news. Eva Chen, Director of Fashion Partnership at Instagram, put up a personal call on Instagram to drive awareness/donations for Kit’s family on You Caring to help support her husband and young son.

Her page, which can be accessed

here, mentions Kit’s smile and her limitless optimism, humor, intelligence and generosity. “She made those around her better for knowing her. She was the connection between family, friends and colleagues. Her selflessness, compassion and beauty make her loss, in her life’s prime, devastating to all those who were touched by her. We miss her deeply and feel her loss in both the profound, as well as in life’s simple everyday moments. To honor Kit is to support those she loved most in this world – JD and Dash – and to assist them as they approach the challenges ahead.”